Hunt on for bee pest

The invasive species of Asian honey bees have been found at Innisfail in far north Queensland.

A single nest was found and Biosecurity Queensland officers are searching for more nests.

The bee is a potential carrier of the commercially devastating varroa mite and was first detected in Cairns in 2007.

Queensland Beekeepers Association president Trevor Weatherhead says there are concerns the bee could spread further south.

"If it got away in Cairns then eventually it will get away right down to New South Wales and Victoria and those places eventually so at this stage it's up to us, we've got to make sure we try and get on top of it if that's at all possible," he said.

Mr Weatherhead says so far 86 nests and swarms have been found at Cairns, Gordonvale, Yarrabah and the Atherton Tableland.

"We've actually doubled the number of surveillance staff that are out there and you would expect that once there's more people out there looking than you will find a lot more," he said.

"I think the increase in numbers that we are finding is a direct result of that increase in surveillance staff in the field."

Another invasive species has also spread in far north Queensland.

Electric ants have been found in the Cairns suburb of Redlynch, about five kilometres outside the nearest restricted area in Caravonica, north of Cairns.